The University of Westminster (informally Westminster) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its antecedent institution, the Royal Polytechnic, was founded in 1838 and was the first polytechnic in the UK. Westminster was awarded university status in 1992. Its headquarters and original campus are in Regent Street in the Westminster area of central London, with additional campuses in Fitzrovia, Marylebone and Harrow. It operates the Westminster International University in Tashkent in Uzbekistan and a satellite campus in Paris, France through the Diplomatic Academy of London.